Tag: dating

So I always feel like I’m not doing enough. For myself, for other people. It’s a lot of pressure. I’m consciously making an effort to think of all the things that I AM doing though, and there are a lot of things actually that I’ve worked towards and improved on despite all the other regular shit going on.

Crisis Textline Volunteer – in the process of being trained. I already agree with a lot of the things I’m being taught in the guidelines and videos, so that’s a good sign. I worry that I won’t be able to handle it emotionally and will feel like a failure. But I still think it’s a good challenge to try. Text HOME to 741741 if you’re looking for support.

Starting a new job as a Data Entry Specialist this upcoming week- again, feeling like I might be a failure if I can’t hold onto this job or feel sick and end up quitting/getting let go. But that’s another thing I’m working towards for summer plans, and I hope I at least learn something.

Dating – Yeah, I had an anxiety attack last night thinking that I’ll never find somebody, but I did go on a few dates and it’s probably hit the end of the road in that department for now, but whatever I tried lol yay me.

Seeing friends – I’ve definitely made a huge effort to stay present and updated in my friends’ lives, and I am pretty content with my social life at the moment, which is a rare thing.

Body – I’ve hit my weight goals and also hit the gym 9 times the past month, which was my original goal all year long and I wasn’t able to hit that goal until recently. I do see mild tricep/bicep lines, but legs and butt still feel like sticks. Regardless, I’ve also taken up Sunday yoga again and I’m happy I forced myself to do that because it does help more or less. My parents also go on evening walks and my dad goes on a few runs each week, so I’m also proud of them!

My mom has talked to me about what it’s like to live in another country where English is its primary language but not yours. There are a lot of struggles that I can only imagine, as I am privileged to grow up understanding two different languages and two different cultures. There are times where they clash, but it was overall still much easier to absorb for me than for her. There comes the theme of caring less what other people think, and doing what’s best for yourself. Even though the situations vary for all of us, the feelings are very similar. Anxiety or worry about how others perceive us, how they judge us.

It frustrated me that it was frustrating for her, and that she could not seem to overcome those feelings. More relevant, to become more self accepting of myself so that I have the courage to reach for things I want out of life. Particularly with the process of dating and fearing the reception and outcome. It is really difficult. But I really have to work on becoming okay with who I am, chronic illness included. It doesn’t define me, but it definitely affects me in so many ways.

It seems like marriage has become a prevalent theme in this age where I’ve reached my early 20s.A couple weeks ago, my friend was sending me diamond ring designs she wanted.Everyone is getting hitched these days, whether it be my parents’ friends’ kids or cousins, friends or acquaintances updating their Facebook status to “Engaged.”The appeal of marriage is so paradoxical to me; on one hand, you’re promising to spend the rest of your life happily with your other half, and then maybe you kiss and ride off into the sunset together hand-in-hand.On the other hand, as Aziz Ansari so hilariously and despondently points out, you’re putting a ring on someone’s finger, and telling them they’re stuck with you until you die.i believe in the sanctity of the principal institution of marriage, but let’s face it:it’s fucking terrifying.Are you ever supposed to know 100% that you want to be forever with another individual?Especially as someone who has more unconventional limitations than the rest of the ‘norm,’ will I really ever find a guy who will willingly enter a pact of “in sickness and in health” from the beginning?Let me know if you have any opinions or experiences on this (more in an upcoming post on dating with said unconventional limitations aka… chronic illness (bleh, hate using that term)).

I know there are already a lot of existing memes floating around where women are jokingly distressed about where they are in life in comparison to others.We’ve already accepted the pressure women face from traditional expectations to settle down in addition to the biological factor of doing so in their early 30s while their eggs are still hip and young.So if my soulmate is out there, I’m waiting 😉

But hurry up, because we only have 7 years left before society decides I’m a barren and overripe old hag.Well, I don’t even know if I should have kids.

2. Soulmates

My friend and I got into a really deep, philosophical discussion once sitting in the middle of Smashburgers.I was telling her about a guy I went on a date with, and how we got into an intense discussion about our beliefs:he said that he doesn’t really know if soulmates exist.He would like to believe it, but how does anyone really fucking know?And what if your soulmate died before or after they met you?Then you’re just what, fucked for life?? Coming from a date, this topic was hella bumming me out.I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a hypocrite.While I have the same doubts and questions as him, I wanted the guy to woo me and convince me otherwise, all that romantic shit… whether it’s the brand of bullshit, I really don’t know.

Her answer to that was that some people are not meant to have soulmates.Some people in this world are perfectly happy being alone.

My rebuttal to his question was that maybe there is more than one soulmate designated for each person, and that’s why love triangles can happen.Maybe I just watched too many Korean dramas, or maybe these are just faux-soulmates who cause each other more grief than happiness, but love blinds you.Just because you think you love someone, doesn’t mean they’re your soulmate.Timing is everything:who we are at the time our paths cross, what we’re looking for, where we are located.The idea of soulmates seems to imply that their relationship would transcend all obstacles.

Personally, I’ve witnessed too many failed relationships and prison-types marriages to have too optimistic of a view on soulmates, but the idea is fascinating to think about.

3. My Love Life

Even though I hesitate to quote Woody Allen due to his tumultuous and controversial life with women, I watched Annie Hall awhile back and his rambling monologue in the beginning really stuck to me.

“… originally in Freud’s “Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious,” and it goes like this – I’m paraphrasing – um, “I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.” That’s the key joke of my adult life, in terms of my relationships with women.”

Basically, I want a relationship but I don’t.Does that make sense?It’s not supposed to, because love doesn’t.I think a part of me dismisses most people who like me, because I can’t help but think, “Why?” I question your judgment in liking me, because well, you don’t really know me, all you know is my appearance, so by deductive reasoning, you’re just drawn to the way I look.Is this cynical?Yes.Is there some truth here as to how guys initially pursue girls further?Yes. Do I perhaps have some trust issues and issues in general?Yeah…

My Type of Guy:People have asked me before what my type of guy is.I used to have a weird list of qualities I was attracted to, but they were more about appearance and physical attraction than anything of substance.

1.Slight faux-hawk, gelled up hair in the front

2.Baseball cap backwards

3.Rides a skateboard really well

In college, I slightly expanded on this stupid list.

4.Preferably Asian*

5.Ideally around 5’9”

6.Dorky humor

7.Really sweet smile

8.No chest hair

9.Kind and patient

-*Think Ryan Higa, the famous Youtuber.Even my mom thinks he’s adorkable, which is no easy feat

-*Don’t think I’m racist for having yellow fever, I just prefer Asian guys because I guess they’re more relatable in background and culture

You know what the most hilarious thing was?The actual crushes I have had only sort of match up with this “criteria.”My first crush was a ginger with derpy blue puppy eyes and the cutest freckles.One day in 4th grade, I was struggling to open my water bottle.He offered to open it up for me, so I gave up and handed it to him- of course, he opened it right away.When he caught the look of frustration and disappointment on my face, he grinned and said,

“You did all the work already, I just opened it up at the end.You were almost there.”

I was painfully shy, I probably blushed, said nothing, or stuttered something sassy to cover up how much those words made my heart melt.Post 4th grade, he migrated more and more towards the popular crowd that began the divisive ranks and cliques formed into high school, we said hi less in the hallways, and thereon-forth became strangers.

Probably none of these crushes had chest hair (no way of knowing ohoho), but nevertheless, I had no way of knowing if they rode skateboards well either, and definitely none of them wore baseball caps backwards. In summation, we often aren’t attracted to people we think we like, as a study previously revealed.

The most recent crush I had was so overwhelming I couldn’t get rid of it, it was like a drug.If there was one consistent trait in the way I react to people I like, it’s that I like them for a long time.I’ve had three major crushes at this point that probably each lasted about a year to three.My friend found the cure and helped me wean off of those feelings by pointing out all the reasons she believed he was gay.It worked like a charm!Or at least, 75% worked.

“My love… Saddest moment is when I found out he’s gay. Or a lie I tell myself everyday.”

4. Age Difference

We like to think that we’re one of those open-minded people who see a couple with a large age gap between them, and without any judgment think, “age is just a number.”Don’t lie! I have mixed feelings about it.If you’re both happy,then it’s nobody else’s business.But even someone I know who has pretty liberal opinions said that it’s a little weird for say, a 23-yr old to sleep with a 19-yr old.A 4-yr old difference isn’t huge, but it’s perhaps the fact that it’s someone who is in their twenties vs. teens in which the maturity level gap is pretty big.

I also can’t help but cringe a little when I see a rich, old Hollywood male celebrity with a beautiful young woman hanging off his arm, someone who could easily pass as his daughter or granddaughter.This is such a norm though, and we tend to go after the woman as a “gold digger”, but if it was vice-versa, she’s a “cougar.”Everyone still loves Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, and God knows who else.

Other Double Standards Speaking of such, when a prominent man cheats, people are quick to excuse, forgive, or forget their deeds.People are willing to overlook the creepiness in which Gandhi approached women, and I’ve seen many others defend Martin Luther King Jr. by saying that it doesn’t negate what they’ve accomplished in other aspects.That is true, but women just don’t get the same pass.Look at the way we go after Amber Rose with pitchforks, slut-shaming her even though to my knowledge she’s never actually cheated.Observe the way we refer to Miley Cyrus as having fallen off the wagon for her provocative style change.

I also think while there are deeply rooted problems in the way we victim-blame or slut-shame, they aren’t as white and black. The only stance I clearly agree with is that no one asks to be raped. Doesn’t matter what vibe you’re getting or what she or he is wearing. Watch last night’s Oscars performance by Lady Gaga and rape survivors; it was heartbreaking. I don’t know why this is so difficult for people to absorb. Let’s put it this way: a guy named Bob who happens to be black wanders into a white privileged neighborhood. Bob gets beaten up by a bunch of white dudes, and then people tell Bob it was because Bob should’ve known better and covered up every inch of his skin beforehand. I hope we are progressive enough in racist issues to understand this analogy a bit.

However, if I had a child, I would still want them to treat themselves with respect, class, and dignity. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with women casually hooking up like many men do, even though I personally would prefer it if everyone just approached such intimate experiences less nonchalantly, but I’m conservative, what can I say. I can’t help but judge others when they act trashy, and this applies to both men and women. I also think it’s a huge turn-off when people mistake arrogance for confidence. It isn’t okay for anyone to look down on others, and we see this all the time in celebrities who then defend themselves by saying it’s female self-empowerment or passion. Please lessen the bullshit in the world.

And that’s the end of my rant and ramble for today.

Search for:

About Me

I like red pandas and the color orange. This is my stage jolting down thoughts about social and cultural issues, which include chronic illness, physical and mental health, the environment, feminism, race relations. Some in-between personal journaling.
Just wandering around trying to find my niche in the world